"Man, what's up with you today?"
Justin just stretched out on JC's couch and pulled his hands up to his face to rub his tired eyes. "Nothing, I just didn't get a lot to sleep last night." He continued as a yawn overtook him.
"Don't give me that." JC started as he flipped absentmindedly through the channels of the TV. "You've been spaced out all day, so what gives?" He asked as he finally settled on ESPN and began watching a stock-car race.
Justin just groaned and turned on his side – looking straight as his friend as if wanting to tell him everything but hesitated. He wasn't ready to talk about his concerns for Liz until he found out what was wrong. "It's nothing really. Hey, shouldn't we be working on that song of yours?" He asked, changing the subject.
JC didn't catch on to the change but answered anyway. "Huh? Oh, yeah, lets go." He replied, turning the TV off and standing up to stretch. "I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow. I still have to pack and I haven't gotten caught up on my sleep yet. Damn, this is gonna suck." He mumbled to himself as he walked out of the room, leaving Justin alone.
'Yeah, this is gonna suck especially if Liz is really sick. She better have gotten an appointment for today.' He said to himself while standing up and following JC out of the room.
"I HATE TRAFFIC!" Liz yelled as she honked her car horn at the slow moving vehicles in front of her. "DON'T YOU PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO DRIVE!" She continued and groaned loudly when the cars completely stopped.
She had made it to school that morning only a few minutes late but was extremely tired. She rushed out of class to call the doctor's office, like she told Justin she would, then hurried across campus to attend her other two classes. She never stopped to eat but that didn't concern her. Lately she had been sick to her stomach and food only made it worse.
She was now sitting behind a line of cars, panicking that she would be late for her appointment. She had at least ten more minutes to go before reaching the office and her appointment was in fifteen. She would have to hurry to be there on time now because she hated to be late to anything.
But being late wasn't the only thing on her mind, she was thinking about what the doctor would find. She had some idea of what MIGHT be wrong but willed that thought out of her mind. 'Its not possible – well maybe – but it can't happen now.' She had repeated to herself as she sat in traffic. Suddenly the line of cars began to move and she rejoiced for the small miracle. "Thank you Lord." She said as she stepped on the gas and weaved her way around the cars.
She would have to calm herself down when she got there so her blood pressure wasn't so high. 'Take it easy girl, you'll be just fine.'
"Stop playing a sec." Justin told JC as he slowly took his fingers off the piano.
"What is it, J?" He asked, noticing the confused look on his friend's face.
Justin held up the papers in his hands and crinkled his brow. "It's this line: Looking around I see nothing, nothing but reminders of days past. Well, if you can't see anything then how are you suppose to notice the reminders? Shouldn't it be something like: I see nothing but can hear, sumptin, sumptin, sumptin. I don't know but with the song talkin about a cry in the dark, shouldn't you hear it and not see it?" Justin asked, pointing to the words JC had written.
"Yeah, I see what you're saying." He took the page in his hand, scribbled down a few changes then started playing the tune again on the piano.
"Looking around
I see nothing (nothing)
But I hear (I can hear you)
The pain coming to my heart
And I know you feel alone (so alone)
You think no one notices
You think they don't hear
But I do (I do)
Let me be there
The one to make the tears stop
Dry up and fade away
Then I won't have to hear
A cry in the dark"
He finished that line, scribbled down a few other words then looked over at Justin. "Yeah, that sounds better. Thanks Justin…Justin?" JC asked, noticing the blank stare again on his face. He was zoned out for the umpteenth time today.
Justin was lost in thought. His mind was listening to the words and the images that came about, involving Liz. He remembered the other night when the two of them were together, how he hurt her and she had cried in the darkness. His heart broke when he heard in his mind the sound of her plea for him to stop and felt the warmth of her tears against his fingertips when he brushed them away.
His thoughts returned to her and wondered if she would find the source to her problems at the doctor's office. He wished she had a cell phone on her so he could call and check but she was still in the dark on the technologies of the 21st century. He slammed his hand down on the piano, sending loud notes throughout the small room.
"JUSTIN, What the hell?" JC yelled as he jumped out of the seat beside him.
Justin kept his head lowered but brought his hands off the piano and mumbled. "JC I'm scared."
JC looked at him, confused as to what he was talking about. "What?" He said as he hesitantly placed his hand on Justin's shoulder.
He lifted his head at the touch and turned to his friend. "JC, something's wrong with Ebby."
JC's eyes widened in concern. "What is it?" He asked, noticing the worry lines around Justin's own eyes.
He began fidgeting with his hands, trying to calm his nerves. "I don't know. She's suppose to go to the doctor today." He said, looking up at him. JC just gave him a look that told him to explain more. "Well, she's been having dizzy spells and I'm sure you've noticed the weight loss."
JC nodded his head on that one. "Yeah, but I thought she was just stressed out. Anything else wrong?"
Justin debated whether to tell him or not. He decided that he needed to be honest with JC. Maybe he could help calm him down. "Well, the other night, we were…you know, together…and she just started crying and said that I was hurting her. She's not like that but she also passed out Saturday so I made her go see the doctor today but I haven't gotten any word from her yet." He replied.
JC just put his head in his hands and mumbled his question. "Please don't tell me that she's pregnant?" He asked, glancing over to Justin, hoping that he would deny it.
Justin just assumed the same position that JC had. "I don't know. I can't think of what else it could be. JC, what am I going to do if she is?"
JC just shook his head and raised his voice a little. "Weren't you careful?"
"YES!" Justin shouted as he stood up. He started pacing the room back and forth. "We were safe. We took every precaution, I swear. But I can't think of anything else. DAMMIT!" Justin continued to yell out of frustration.
JC stood as well and approached his friend. Again, he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to try to ease his friend's mind. "Then I'm sure she's not having a baby. Look, maybe she's just…"
Justin held up his hand to stop him. "Stressed. I know but that's not it either. JC, you didn't hear her crying, you didn't see the pain in her eyes or the way she feels in my arms now. Something is wrong. I just have this feeling."
JC had no idea what to say or do at that moment. All he could hope for was that Liz would call and say she was fine but he wondered if she would be.
"Well, hello Ms. Matthews."
Liz's head shot up at the sound of the doctor when she came into the examining room. She shifted nervously on the table and heard the white paper crinkle underneath her body.
"Um, hi Dr. Cannon. How…how are you?" She stuttered out, trying to break the tension she was feeling in the room.
The doctor smiled brightly at her as she sat down in the swivel stool and slid it in front of Liz. "Very well today thank you. Now…" She started as she flipped through Liz's chart and read over the last few visits and then why she was there. "So, it says you've been having dizzy spells, even passing out a few times?" She asked as she lifted her head to eye Liz.
"Yeah, um but I haven't felt like that in a few days. This was actually my boyfriend's idea for me to come see you, but I think I'm fine now, really." She said, wringing her hands together.
Dr. Cannon noticed the nervousness that Liz had all over her face and simply shook her head. "Elizabeth, I'm glad you listened to him. Passing out isn't something to take lightly. Now, I know you are working and attending school. Is everything going okay with both of them?" She asked, flicking her pen to open it so she could write down the details.
Liz took a deep breath and thought about her question before answering. "Well, work is good. I'm doing a lot but it's not that stressful if that's what you're asking. As for school, I am looking forward to winter break. Two of my classes are causing me to have constant headaches – not literally but you know what I mean. Next semester will be much better. I have only electives and one main class to take so it should be alright. Other than that, I'm great."
The doctor shook her head as she wrote down a few things. Liz tried to stretch her neck to see but just sat back, knowing that even if she could see, she wouldn't be able to read the chicken-scratch that doctors call handwriting.
Dr. Cannon cleared her throat and lowered her notes to look at Liz. "Well, it sounds like you're a typical college student with all the things that go along with it but I still am concerned about the blacking out."
"Couldn't it be anxiety attacks?" Liz asked, hoping with everything inside her that it was.
The doctor shook her head. "Sometimes a person will pass out but not usually. Besides, you didn't mention having a shortness of breath or feeling panicked before passing out. You seem to be in pain before it happens and I need to ask a few more questions to see where we need to go from here."
Liz agreed and the doctor started rambling off several questions for her to answer. "Okay, the last thing I need to know is if there is a possibility that you could be pregnant?"
Liz knew that question would come up and that was, in fact, what she thought this whole ordeal was about. "Um, yeah, I guess there is." She said softly, a little embarrassed to be mentioning it.
Dr. Cannon just nodded. "Elizabeth, either you've had sex or not. If you have then there is a possibility. Now, what's the answer?"
"Um, yes, there's a chance." She finally got out then lowered her head and twisted her hands again.
"Elizabeth, you'll be okay. I have a few things I want to do and I'll send in a nurse to take some blood and then we'll see from there." She explained as she stood and walked to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Liz nodded her head and waved bye as the doctor left the room. Her thoughts weren't given a chance to get away from her because a nurse immediately stepped into the room and got her ready for the tests.
Several minutes later- the nurse had left moments ago - there was a knock at the door and Dr. Cannon walked into the room. Liz sat up a little straighter and waited for the news. She looked at the doctor's face but it showed nothing – good or bad.
Dr. Cannon slowly sat down on the stool and looked over her notes. Liz couldn't handle the silence and had to know. "Dr. am I having a baby?"
The doctor raised her head and simply gave her a sympathetic look.